Improvement in earth-augetrs



S. H. HOWARD 8c J. I. WELLS.

EARTH-AUGER.

Patented Aprl11,1876.

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ILFETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C4 'UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE STEPHEN H. HOWARD AND JESSE I. WELLS, OF TRENTON, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN EARTH-AUGE'RS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,987, dated April11, 1876; application tiled March 2, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, STEPHEN HHOWARD and JESSE I. WELLS, of Trenton, inthe county of Gibson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Earth-Angers, of which the followingis aspeciication Uur improvements relates to that class of earth-angersadapted for deep borings. The boringshaftis in sections. The lowestsection swelling at its end, and socketed to receive the centeringdevice which also locks a bottom plate thereto. This bottom plate ismade to coincide with and form a continuation of the bottom vane of theworm, as will be described presently. It carries a colter or boringblade, which overlaps said plate, and is riveted thereto. This bottomplate which carries the colter is fastened to the lowest section of theboring-shaft by a locking device, having a button bearing andterminating in an angular piercing centering point. The boring-blade hasa downward-cutting edge, and an upward-shaving edge, the inner point ofthe cuttingledge extending under the button which fastens the bottomplate, and approaching piercing centering point, so that the cutting ofthe earth is commenced almost from the very center of the well, andacting in combination with the angles of'the centering point to effectthis result. The earth-carrying worm is cast solidly around a hollowtube, which is of less diameter than and surrounds the boring-shaft, andthe lower vane of this worm coincides with the bottom blade of the augershaft, and thus forms a continuous bottom vane. The worm easily locksand unlocks with the boring-shaft by means of a stud on said shaft, anda slot in the bottom of the worm-tube, one side of which slot inclinesto the bottom of the tube, and forms a guiding way for the stud, so asto permit of its easy and automatic entrance into said slot as theboringshaft turns. Both the boring-shaft and the worm-tube revolve asone, when so locked, and the power is brought as near as possible to theresistance. To prevent the friction of the earth between the vanesagainst the sides of the well, and also to prevent its partially fallinginto the well wheny the worm is raised to discharge its contents, weprovide an incasing-barrel, open at top and bottom, which, when the wormis raised above ground, is drawn up until the worm is laid bare, and itscontents discharged, when the barrel is again dropped down over the wormto perform its function, as before. Arched bows at the top of thisbarrel terminate in a collar, which surrounds the extended portion ofthe wormtube.

Prominent and valuable among the improvements we have made is thegain-twist of the worm-valles. As the vanes approach the top there isagain or increase in the space between the vanes, thereby allowing theearth to become loose as it nears the top of the worm, instead ofpacking. The whole device is raised and lowered by a tripod orwell-derrick. The chain for raising the auger is in sectionsone sectionof which is always attached to a collar upon the worm-tube below thebow-sleeve of the inclosing-case and within said hielosing-case, andwhile the boring progresses, the other end is attached to a collar aboveon the boring shaft. This chain is connected by double hooks to sectionafter section let down over a pulley from a windlass as the boringprogresses, and new sections of boringshaft are added, so as to keep italways above ground. The collar -upon the shaft to which 1t is attachedis movable to be slipped up the shaft as new sections are added, thedifferent sections ofthis chain being connected at the same time. Thisconnection is made by double hooks-both hooks of the one sectionentering the lower link of the next from opposite sidesthe precedingconnection of the chain of sections being disengaged and attached to theshaft-collar as the shaft descends; This division and separation of thechain are for the purpose of preventing its winding around the shaft.There is also a feed-chain, which is not, however, sectional 5 but whichis attached by swivel connection with the top end ofthe bor ing-shaft,and feeds down as the shaft descends, and when a new section of shaft isadded it is attached to its top, and so continues. This chain is alsoused to draw up the boring-shaft when necessary, or when the boring isfinished. But the invention is clearly set forth in the followingdescription and claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l represents an elevation of our improved earth-auger, inconnection with its derrick, the inclosing barrel or case being insection to show the worm and its connection with the boring-shaft; Fig.2, an elevation of the worm detached to illustrate our method ofavoiding packing by the gain-twist; Fig. 3, a section showing thema-nner ot' securing the cutting-blade to the shaft; 4, a section of theauger and boring-shaft; Fig. 5, a bottom view of the boring-blade orcolter; and Fig. 6 a perspective view of the top of such boring blade. iY

Reference heilig had to these drawings, A is the boring-shaft, which is,as usual, in sections, united by suitable jointings, firmly secured bysleeve-couplin gs b, lined with a female thread, which receives a malethread cut upon each section ofshaft A, and when screwed up a pin ispassed through coupling and shaft. To this shaft we apply the power inany suitable manner, and of itself it is the boring agent. It terminatesin a piercing centeringpoint, c, the descent of which into the soil islimited by a button, d, or a shouldered head. This piercing-point isangular or of pyramidal form, its angles cutting` the ground. Secured tothe shaft A by this button d is a plate, B

-which carries the colter or boring-blade e,

which overlaps said plate, and is riveted thereto. This boring-bladeorcolter chas adouble continuous cutting-edge, e1 e2, the part el curvingdownwardly in a supposed underline, and extending under the button d,and approaching the piercing centering-point o, whereby v the cutting iscommenced at the very center of the boring, the exact central cuttingbeing` done by the angles of said centering-point. This colterpenetrates the soil, and, cutting, throws the earth over upon the plate,to be carried upas the action progresses, as will be presently fullyunderstood. The part c2 has a circumferential and upward curve in asupposed line over the plate, and its peculiar function is to shave andsmooth the sides of the well, and thereby prevent friction in thedescent ofthe inclosing case or barrel of the device, which will bementioned hereinafter more fully. For this purpose the shaving-edge e2is in a circumferential line outside the periphery of said barrel. Theplate B is secured to the lowest section of shaft A, as follows: Thehu'b portion, or that portion adjoining the shaft, has a circularopening, through which the screw-stem c' of the piercing-point c passesintothe screw-socket in the end of said shaft, and thus clamps thesaidplate in posil(ion. The thread is right and left, so that as theboring action goes on the tendency is to tighten the gripe of the screw,and thereby always securely clamps the plate upon the end of the shaft.

The vanes g of the carrying-worm are cast solidly around a tube, C,which rises some distance above the topmost vane of the worm. Theboring-shaft A, which, to have afree vertical movement, is of lessdiameter than this tube C, and has, at the bottom, a slot, h, one sideof which slot inclines to the bottom of the tube, and forms aguiding-way for a stud,f, upon shaft A, so as to permit of the andautomatic entrance of said stud into the locking` portion of said slotas the boringshaft turns. This permits not only of the integral actionof shaft and tube, but brings the power nearer the resistance. By thismeans, also, the boring-shaft A is unlocked or disengaged from theworm-tube C, and said tube permitted to be raised for the discharge ofearth without disturbing the shaft.

vThe vanes g of the worm increase or gain in distance apart as they nearthe top, so that the earth which is carried up by them continues loose,because the pressure which forces the earth up the carrying-varies g ofthe worm is not resisted, but, on the contrary, impetus is given by theincreasing space between the vaues in which the earth disperses andspreads as it advances. Were the vanes equidistant, the resistance andthe weight ot' a conne'd mass would securely pack the earth in the worm,and thus produce a retarding friction, and also cause a delay when theworm is required to discharge its contents. The bottom vane of the wormlaps upon the bottom plate B of the boring-shaft, and its termination isflush with the end of the colter e, (lapping also upon plate B) so thatcoinciding they jointly form the bottom vane ofthe carrying-worm. Theworm is inclosed within a barrel or casing, D, which holds the earth inconnection withthe worm, and prevents friction against the sides of thewall. Its connection and uses with the auger will hereinafter more-fully appear.

The means and manner of operating our auger are as follows Referring tothe drawings, Figure l, the chain E, for raising the auger device is insections. These sections are connected by double hooks iz',.the hooks ofthe one section both entering the link of the other section fromopposite sides, and when once entered they are not likely to becomedisconnected, nor likely to be straightened by strain, a strongerconnection than could be afforded by a single hook. While boring, toprevent the chain winding` around the shaft, that section of the chainEf, which is fastened to a collar, a, upon the worm-tube C, to raise thedevice, is disconnected and, hung upon a hook in a movable collar, Z,upon the boring-shaft. The collar 7c is just below the top of thelbarrel-casing, (which surrounds the worm,) so as not to be in the way ofraising this barrel when necessary. As the boring progresses newsections of shaft A are added, the movable collar Z is slipped up, andits hook made to hold the added section of chain E until it becomesnecessary to repeat this as the shaft descends, to keep the chain Eabove ground. When the auger-worm is full of earth the section E' isdisconnected and hooked by the double hooks to the continuous chain ofsections E,

or the raising-chain, and serves to draw up the auger. When the auger isdrawn above ground, as shown in the drawing, a plank is slipped underthe auger from both sides, so as to support the auger; then the chain isdisconnected from collar l, (upon the shaft,) and attaches to a hook, m,which projects from a band, F, which surrounds and slides over theworm-tube C, and which is connected to the barrel D by bows o o, and bythis means the barrel D is drawn up, leaving the auger bare and emptyingit of its earth. Then the barrel D is dropped down over the auger, thechain returned to its connection, and the device lowered againf-thechain, of course, being disconnected from its section, as beforedescribed. lhe chain Gr on the left is the feedchain, and is attached totop section of boringshaft A by swivel-joint, or in any suitable Way,-to avoid twisting, and is used to regulate the feed ofthe auger inboring. It is also used to draw up the shaft A Whenever it is necessaryto raise the shaft.

We claim- 1. In an earth-auger having auger-carrying worm for the earth,the vanes g thereof', increasing in their distances apart from bottom totop, for the purpose of avoiding the packing of the contained earth.

2. In an earth-auger having the combination of worin G, and shaft A, theplate B of said shaft, carrying the overlapping colter e, and secured bystemmed button d passing through said plate into a socket in the shaft.

3. The combination of an earth-auger car-` rying-worn, Whose vanesincrease in their distance apart as they near the top, with an inclosingbarrelcase, for the purpose of avoiding packing in said barrel.

4. The combination, in a well-auger, of the angular centering-point c,with the double counter-cutter e c1 e2, the plate B, and the clampingcentering-point c, as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, in an earth-auger, of the sectional chain E E',provided with the double hook i' i, with the hooks k Z an of the shaft,tube, and barrel, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing, we have aiXed our signaturesin the presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN H. HOWARD. JESSE I. WELLS.

Witnesses H. L. RAINEs. W. B. EIGHT.

